Galaxy S26 is Better than iPhone 17 and I’m tired of Pretending It Isn’t

Source Domain: sammyguru.com

Since Apple unveiled the iPhone 17, we’ve seen nonstop praise for its improvements over the previous model: storage bump, 120Hz display, anti-reflective coating, and meaningful camera upgrades. The Galaxy S26, on the other hand, has faced constant ridicule for two main reasons: reused camera sensors and the price increase. I don’t see this as a fair comparison. How can we hyper-focus on just one area while ignoring everything else?

Camera Performance

Let’s get right to the point: Samsung has used the same camera sensors as the Galaxy S22. I understand and agree with the criticism, but I won’t pretend the Galaxy S26 performs anything like the Galaxy S22. That simply isn’t the case.

I’m using the iPhone 17 Pro Max as a comparison, and it more than proves that sensors never tell the full story. The Galaxy S26 features a dedicated optical sensor, which is far superior to the simple cropped sensor found in the base iPhone 17.

Here are three photos: the iPhone 17 Pro Max 4x optical shot, the Galaxy S26 3x optical shot, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max 3x cropped shot.

When comparing the 3x crop from both devices, I much prefer the Galaxy S26’s lack of over-sharpening. The iPhone 17 Pro Max may have a bit more detail, but the heavy over-sharpening ruins the final image. A dedicated telephoto lens will always outperform a simple sensor crop.

Just to keep things fair between these devices, here’s the telephoto shot from the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I don’t want to confuse anyone; the Galaxy S26 didn’t outclass the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is no surprise.

The Galaxy S26 isn’t far behind when it comes to detail from the main sensor. A simple photo of a fire hydrant clearly illustrates how Samsung is maximizing its potential through computational photography.

The Galaxy S26 is outclassed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max much larger sensor, but it isn’t so much that it’s unusable. We can still clearly make out the letters on the…

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